7-Day Menu Planner
SUNDAY: Spice up family day with Roasted Peppered Pork Loin. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Rub 1 (2- to 3-pound) welltrimmed boneless pork loin with a mixture of 1 ½ teaspoons garlic pepper and 1 ½ teaspoons dried rosemary. Place pork in a shallow pan. Roast 40 minutes to 1 hour (20 minutes per pound) or until internal temperature reaches at least 145 degrees. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with roasted fingerling potatoes, green beans, mixed greens and biscuits. Make a spice cake (from mix) for dessert.
Plan ahead: Save enough pork and cake for Monday.
MONDAY: Use the leftover pork in this Southwestern Pork and Pepper Stir-Fry (see recipe). Serve it over rice. Add a spinach salad and whole-grain rolls. Slice the leftover cake for dessert.
TUESDAY: Skip meat for Bean Tacos tonight. Spoon heated canned refried beans into warm taco shells. Serve with bowls of shredded lettuce, diced avocado, chopped onion, salsa and sour cream. Add packaged yellow rice on the side. Fresh pineapple is a refreshing dessert.
WEDNESDAY: Be patriotic and serve the kids All-American Baked Spaghetti. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a large nonstick skillet on medium; add 1 medium onion (chopped), 1 clove garlic (minced) and 1 pound lean ground beef; cook 10 minutes or until onion is softened and beef is no longer pink; drain. Add 1 (14 ½-ounce) can no-salted added diced tomatoes (with liquid), 1 (8-ounce) can no-salt added tomato sauce, 1 cup water, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning and ½ teaspoon coarse salt. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Break 8 ounces uncooked spaghetti into thirds; place pasta in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add ½ cup water and meat mixture; stir to combine all ingredients. Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes. Uncover, stir and bake 10 more minutes. Sprinkle with ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese; bake uncovered 2 more minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with green peas (from frozen) and soft rolls. Sprinkle apple slices with cinnamon sugar for dessert.
THURSDAY: Make a quick meal of turkey kielbasa with grainy mustard and dill pickles, along with deli potato salad and pickled beets (from jar) on the menu. Add rye bread. For dessert, keep it light with peaches.
FRIDAY: What could be better than great flavor and low cost, two characteristics of OnePot Chicken Meatballs With Jasmine Rice (see recipe)? Serve with flatbread. Make lemon pudding and top with light whipped cream for dessert.
SATURDAY: Invite friends for Creamy Linguine With Shrimp and Asparagus (see recipe). Serve with cherry tomatoes sauteed in olive oil and garlic. Add a Boston lettuce salad and a baguette to round out the meal. Buy cheesecake for dessert.
THE RECIPES Southwestern Pork and Pepper Stir-Fry
2 cups cooked chopped pork loin
1 teaspoon chile powder
½ teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
Toss pork with chile powder and cumin; set aside.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high. Add onion and both peppers; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until onion is softened. Add pork and stir-fry 2 minutes or until hot; serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 155 calories, 20 g protein, 5 g fat, 7 g carbohydrate, 52 mg cholesterol, 64 mg sodium and 2 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: ½
One-Pot Chicken Meatballs With Jasmine Rice
1 pound ground chicken
1 egg
¾ cup panko crumbs
¼ cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger, divided use ½ teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 orange or red bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
1 cup unsalted chicken broth
1 cup uncooked instant jasmine rice
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple
¼ cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves
In a medium bowl, combine chicken, egg, panko, green onions, 1 tablespoon ginger and the salt. Shape into 16 meatballs. (Wet your hands if mixture is too sticky.)
Heat oil in a large deepsided skillet on medium-high. Brown meatballs, turning occasionally; set aside.
In same skillet, cook peppers, onion, garlic and remaining ginger 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in coconut milk and broth. Bring to a boil. Add reserved meatballs; reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through (165 degrees internal temperature). Stir in uncooked rice and pineapple. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes or until rice is tender. Top with cilantro. (Adapted from www.swirlsofflavor.com)
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 471 calories, 32 g protein, 16 g fat, 48 g carbohydrate, 129 mg cholesterol, 407 mg sodium and 3 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 3
Creamy Linguine With Shrimp and Asparagus
8 ounces linguine
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and sliced diagonally into 1 ½-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup heavy cream
4 teaspoons Tuscan or Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
Freshly grated parmesan or Romano cheese for garnish (if desired)
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water.
Meanwhile, melt butter in large deep skillet on medium heat. Add asparagus and garlic; cook and stir 5 minutes or until asparagus is softened. Add cream, seasoning, lemon juice and salt. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
Stir shrimp into skillet. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes or until shrimp just turn pink. Add pasta and reserved pasta cooking water; toss to coat well. Serve immediately with grated parmesan or Romano cheese (if desired).
Makes 6 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 382 calories, 21 g protein, 19 g fat, 32 g carbohydrate, 161 mg cholesterol, 444 mg sodium and 2 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 2